Champions League 2024/25 new format, teams, fixtures, results and table for league phase
This season, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Celtic are all competing in a revamped Champions League format. Here’s everything you should know...
Understanding The New League Phase Format
The 36 teams compete in a unified league where each team faces eight other clubs—four games are played at home and four on the road. A win earns the team three points, while a draw gives them one point.
The best eight teams in the league will secure automatic entry into the knockout rounds, while those ranked from ninth to 24th will face off in a two-game playoff for a chance to reach the final 16 of the tournament.
The lowest 12 teams will be cut from the competition and will not qualify for the Europa League.
Here's a rephrased version for that section: Tuesday's matches in the Champions League...
Wednesday's matches in the Champions League...
Matches in the Champions League on Thursday...
Understanding The Knockout Play-Offs Process
Teams that rank from ninth to 16th will be given seeds in the draw for the knockout phase playoffs, which means they will compete against teams that are positioned from 17th to 24th.
The eight teams that succeed in the knockout stage will move on to the round of 16. In this round, they will compete against one of the top eight teams, which have been given seedings.
The matchups for the knockout stage will be influenced by the rankings from the league phase. A draw will outline the path that teams will take to get to the final.
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Points Needed To Qualify For Knockout Rounds
This season, the Champions League has introduced a new format that sets different expectations for teams. Clubs are now analyzing the numbers to determine how many points they need to secure a spot in the knockout stages during the group phase.
According to the Opta supercomputer, securing 16 points out of a possible 24—meaning five victories and one draw over eight games, or various other combinations—would nearly guarantee a position in the top eight. This placement ensures a spot in the round of 16 come the New Year.
The analysis suggests that accumulating 15 points—which could come from five victories out of eight matches or various other combinations—might be sufficient to secure a spot in eighth place. This points total has proven to be adequate in 73% of Opta's 50,000 simulations of the league season.
A total of fourteen points, which means four victories and two ties or different combinations, is probably not sufficient for securing a spot in the top eight. Therefore, aiming for five wins is likely to be the objective for the leading teams.
To secure a position in the top 24, which ensures at least a playoff opportunity, Opta suggests that accumulating 10 points—achieving three victories and a draw, or different combinations—will very likely earn you a spot in the next round.
This means that teams that come out on top in the first round of Champions League matches only need to earn seven points from their next seven games to secure a place in the playoffs.
Achieving nine points—whether that means securing three victories out of eight matches or some other mix—might be sufficient to secure a 24th place finish. This score has proven to be adequate in 69 percent of the simulations run.
However, accumulating only eight points—through two victories and two draws, or different variations—poses a significant threat of being eliminated, as this score only proves to be enough in 16 percent of the scenarios analyzed.
Teams will aim for a minimum of three victories out of eight matches to maximize their chances of progressing to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
September 19: Atalanta will face Arsenal at Gewiss Stadium, with the match starting at 8 PM.
October 1: Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium, with the match starting at 8 PM.
October 22: Arsenal will take on Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium, with the match starting at 8 PM.
On November 6, Inter Milan will face Arsenal at San Siro, with the match starting at 8 PM.
On November 26, Sporting Lisbon will face off against Arsenal at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
December 11: Arsenal takes on Monaco at the Emirates Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
January 22: Arsenal takes on Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
January 29: Girona will take on Arsenal at Estadi Montilivi, starting at 8 PM.
September 17: Young Boys will face Aston Villa at Wankdorf Stadium, starting at 5:45 PM.
October 2: Aston Villa takes on Bayern Munich at Villa Park, starting at 8 PM.
October 22: Aston Villa will face Bologna at Villa Park, starting at 8 PM.
November 6: Club Brugge takes on Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium, with the match starting at 5:45 PM.
November 27: Aston Villa takes on Juventus at Villa Park, starting at 8 PM.
December 10: RB Leipzig will face Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena, starting at 8 PM.
January 21: AS Monaco will face Aston Villa at the Louis II Stadium, beginning at 5:45 PM.
January 29: Aston Villa will face Celtic at Villa Park, with the match starting at 8 PM.
September 17: AC Milan takes on Liverpool at San Siro, starting at 8 PM.
October 2: Liverpool takes on Bologna at Anfield, with the match starting at 8 PM.
October 23: RB Leipzig takes on Liverpool at the Red Bull Arena, starting at 8 PM.
On November 5th, Liverpool will face off against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield, with the match starting at 8 PM.
On November 27th, Liverpool will face off against Real Madrid at Anfield, starting at 8 PM.
On December 10, Girona will face Liverpool at Estadi Montilivi, with the match starting at 5:45 PM.
January 21: Liverpool will face Lille at Anfield, with the match starting at 8 PM.
January 29: PSV Eindhoven will face Liverpool at the Philips Stadium, with the match starting at 8 PM.
September 18: Manchester City takes on Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
October 1: Slovan Bratislava takes on Manchester City at the National Football Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
October 23: Manchester City takes on Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
November 5: Sporting CP takes on Manchester City at the José Alvalade Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
November 26: Manchester City will face Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium, with the match starting at 8 PM.
December 11: Juventus takes on Man City at Allianz Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
January 22: Paris Saint-Germain takes on Manchester City at Parc des Princes, with the match starting at 8 PM.
January 29: Manchester City will play against Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium, starting at 8 PM.
September 18: Celtic takes on Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park, starting at 8 PM.
October 1: Borussia Dortmund takes on Celtic at Signal Iduna Park, starting at 8 PM.
October 23: Atalanta takes on Celtic at Gewiss Stadium, with the match starting at 5:45 PM.
November 5: Celtic takes on RB Leipzig at Celtic Park, starting at 8 PM.
November 27: Celtic takes on Club Brugge at Celtic Park, starting at 8 PM.
On December 10, Dinamo Zagreb will take on Celtic at Maksimir Stadium, with the match starting at 5:45 PM.
January 22: Celtic will face Young Boys at Celtic Park, starting at 8 PM.
January 29: Aston Villa will face Celtic at Villa Park, starting at 8 PM.
When Will The 2024/25 Champions League Start?
When Do The 2024/25 Champions League Knockouts Start?
Where Will The 2025 Champions League Final Be?
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final is scheduled to be held in Munich at the Allianz Arena on May 31, 2025.
